Long Time No Post

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Birmingham string quartet, Bramall Hall, Concert, Dan Watson, Harper Quartet, Harper String Trio, Harper Violin Duo, Help for Heroes, John Lewis, Solihull Food Festival, String Quartet, Thumb, Violin Duo, Wedding Fayres

It has been a while since I have posted.  The summer was a busy one for weddings, the Harper Violin Duo traveled to Wales a few times.  The Harper Quartet recently played at Bramall Hall, the new music hall at Birmingham University and around the West Midlands for weddings.

I am settling into life with no Conservatoire and slowly filling my diary up.  I am playing for Thumb‘s Small Ensemble Series: A Snapshot of Turnage conducted by Dan Watson on November 15th at the Adrian Boult Hall.  I am also playing in the British Concert Orchestra this Thursday in Stevenage.  Over the summer I took part in a recording for Help for Heroes.  The CD will be sold at the concert we are holding at Lichfield Cathedral on Friday 16th November.  The whole project has been set-up and run by Glen Taylor and the compositions are his.  It would be great to see people there so please come along if you can!!

Over the summer I have been spending time building my String Quartet’s profile and have set up a website – Harper Quartet.  Go have a look and let me know what you think!!  I will be attending wedding fayres, does anyone have any tips on what I should take, provide on top of the expected?!  Or recommend any wedding fayres?

The Harper Quartet are also performing at the Solihull Food Festival on Friday 5th October at 13.45 (in Mell Square) and after 14.00 (John Lewis Coffee Bar).

I am also preparing a Violin Duo concert with Stefan Spencer, a good friend of mine. I am looking forward to be working with him and performing soon!!
Let me know what you think of the website!!!

Final Weeks at the Conservatoire

Tags

Birmingham Conservatoire, Concerts, Duo, music, music industry, orchestras, Ruthin Castle Hotel, Weddings

I recieved my results the other day and I passed my recital!  Yay!!  I now hold a PGCert (Specialist Performance)!!

So what now?!  Well we have two and a bit weeks of term left and I am in both of the orchestras.  First up is Repertoire Orchestra and Chorus on Friday 15th June, 7.30pm, Adrian Boult Hall.  We are playing Bach’s B Minor Mass with Paul Spicer conducting.  Rehearsals have been running for a couple of weeks now and we have an intense week on it next week! 

My final concert at Birmingham Conservatoire will be Orchestral Cities with the Symphony Orchestra.  For this we are playing:

Edwin Roxburgh: Concerto for Orchestra
Howard Skempton: Lento
Heiner Goebbels: Sampler Suite and D&C from Surrogate Cities

This concert is the second part to the Frontiers+ Festival.  In March German composer and director Heiner Goebbels came to the UK and was given an Honorary Doctorate of Birmingham Conservatoire/Birmingham City University.  More information at: http://www.bcu.ac.uk/pme/conservatoire/events-calendar/heinergoebbels/overview.

Finally – then plug over I promise – tickets can be bought through: http://www.bcu.ac.uk/pme/conservatoire/events-calendar 

So it is a busy final few weeks with weddings at the weekends as well – Harriet and I are at Ruthin Castle Hotel, fingers crossed for beautiful weather!

I am excited – and scared (!)  to be stepping out into the musical world!!  Does anyone have any tips for me on making a mark in the musical industry??

Final Recital

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Birmingham Conservatoire, Duo, gigs, music, Quartet, Recital, repertoire list, samples, violin

It has been a busy month!!! After finishing classes we entered the exam period at Birmingham Conservatoire.  Last week I had my final recital for my postgraduate course.

I played:
Tartini – Violin Sonata in G Minor ‘Didone Abbandonata’
Wienawski – Legende
Brahms – Violin Sonata No. 3 in D Minor.

These are really tough pieces in their own rights, the Tartini looks deceptive, then you look deeper into the piece! The second movement is fiddly to say the least especially when playing it Presto! The story behind the piece is beautiful and once you understand it, it brings the story to life.  The Wienawski is a piece that I believe is not played enough and the Brahms…well no-one can beat a bit of Brahms!!  It has fast become one of my favourite pieces with it’s lush melodies and the way the piano and violin work together.

The recital went well, from what I can remember!!  I am grateful for everyone who came to watch and now it’s the nerve-wracking time of waiting for the results!!!

I have two weeks left at Birmingham Conservatoire and this is jam packed with two orchestral concerts at the Conservatoire and quartet and duo gigs.  It has been a busy year but I have achieved so much and I am looking forward to making my way into the musical world.

This is just a quick post but I have loads more to share and I will be updating my blog with repertoire lists and samples over the next week.  When they are up have a look and let me know what you think!!

Busy Bee!

Tags

Birmingham Conservatoire, classical, Duo, Eroica Camerata, Hilton Hotel, music, orchestra, Quartet, The Hepplewhite Trio, violin, Weddings

One week I am playing in Chester and the next at the Hilton Hotel in Bromsgrove!

This is the reason I haven’t been able to blog for a while.  I have been busy with the Toy Sound Circus orchestra,  conducted by Dan Watson.  We are holding our second concert of the year at Birmingham Conservatoire, check out the event info here.

Wedding season is upon us and I have lots of gigs booked in.  I have been playing with Harriet as a violin duo in Chester and Stafford in wonderful countryside settings.  Fortunately the rain has held off for the happy couples, so they should have some lovely photos!
Harriet and I have more gigs coming up in Chester and we are looking forward to them!
I also have lots of other weddings coming up across the country.

I have also recently played with the Eroica Camerata.  The programme included Britten’s Simple Symphony, Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 23 in A Major with Fan Yu as the soloist and Martinu’s Concerto for Trio and String Orchestra H232 with The Hepplewhite Trio.

This has been a busy month so far and is set to get busier!!  Just the way I like it!!

Berliner Philharmoniker’s Beautiful Musical Photos

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Art Direction, Berliner Philharmoniker, Bjoern Ewers, Cello, Flute, Guitar, Musical Photos, photography, Pipe Organ, violin

One of my friends posted a link to newspapers article about Berlin Philharmoniker’s  latest press campaign.  Just had to share it!!

ART DIRECTION: INSTRUMENTS FROM INSIDE on the Behance Network.

Taken by Bjoern Ewers, the photos show the inside of instruments with Macro lenses.  I think these are beautiful photographs.  We are used to seeing the instruments on the outside that it is a refreshing change to see the inside.

The photos show the insides of a Violin, Cello, Flute, Guitar and Pipe Organ.  They are becoming popular across the net with many saying they would love to live inside them!!  It’s easy to see why, with Bjoern making the instruments look spacious.

If these photos were to become available as prints I will be ordering one!  A truly fantastic, piece of artwork!!